Torus-Cap Optical Collimator for RGBW LED Color Mixing

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional optical systems for projectors, particularly those using RGBW LEDs, face challenges in achieving a uniform and homogeneous color mixture while minimizing the geometric extent and reducing the angle of the projected light beam, leading to inefficiencies in color synthesis and image projection.

Innovation Solution

An optical system comprising a first incident surface and a first emergent surface with torus-cap shapes, featuring three-dimensional textures to align light rays with a main optical axis, ensuring the light rays emerge within a narrow angle relative to the axis, thus improving color mixing and reducing the system's geometric size.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If conventional collimators are designed to shape light beams from RGBW LEDs, then color synthesis is improved, but the geometric extent and beam angle increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecolor synthesis qualityVSAvoidgeometric extent
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies torus-cap shaped surfaces for both the incident and emergent surfaces of the collimator. This curved geometry enables efficient light collimation while maintaining a compact form factor, resolving the contradiction between achieving good color synthesis and minimizing geometric extent.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent optimizes specific geometric parameters including the torus cap radius ratio (R1/R2 between 0.5-2.0), the angle of incidence (30-60 degrees), and the relative positioning of singular points to achieve both compact size and effective light beam shaping for RGBW LEDs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Illumination intensity

If conventional collimators are designed to shape light beams from RGBW LEDs, then color synthesis is improved, but the beam angle becomes larger

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecolor synthesis qualityVSAvoidbeam angle
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The torus-cap shaped emergent surface is specifically designed to control the angular distribution of emerging light rays. This curvature enables the collimator to produce a narrower beam angle while maintaining effective color synthesis, directly addressing the contradiction between these two parameters.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent optimizes the emergent surface geometry parameters, particularly the torus cap curvature radii and the angle of emergence (15-30 degrees), to achieve a narrower beam angle while preserving the additive synthesis quality of RGBW LED light.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Manufacturing precision

If the incident and emergent surfaces have torus-cap shapes with three-dimensional textures, then light ray alignment is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight ray alignmentVSAvoidsurface texture fabrication
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent defines specific parameter ranges for the torus cap geometry (radius ratios between 0.5-2.0, surface slopes between 30-60 degrees) that balance optical performance with manufacturability. These optimized parameters enable good light ray alignment while remaining feasible for conventional manufacturing processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The optical system achieves a uniform and homogeneous color mixture by aligning light rays with the main optical axis, minimizing the angle of the projected beam, and reducing the system's size, thereby enhancing color synthesis and projector efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

a first incident surface (210) and a first emergent surface (410) configured to define an intermediate focus area (930)... such that the system includes a set of three-dimensional textures comprising: a first three-dimensional texture (430) disposed on the first emerging surface (410) so as to form a first textured surface (460)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRefraction: Refraction

Implementation Method 2

the first incident surface (210) and the first emergent surface (410) are configured to define an intermediate focus area (930) located between the first incident surface (210) and the first emergent surface (410)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFocusing: Focusing

Data Source

PatentEP3587912B1Optical system for non-imaging collimation of maximum light intensity
Publication Date: 2022.08.10 GAGGIONE SA
  • EP3587912B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3587912B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5
  • EP3587912B1 patent drawingFigure 6~7

AI summary

Optical system 100 is configured so that the relationship between the angle of incidence and the emergence distance of the emerging optical ray from the principal optical axis OO is proportionally decreasing, thus ensuring homogeneous color mixing and a textured emerging surface to further homogenize the additive synthesis. The image of the light source 901 is uniformly homogeneous and uncorrelated with its shape.